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Life skills for Ghana Scouts

9th Jan 2014

GHANA - The Ghana Scout Association, as a youth movement with a structured training programme is committed to ensure that, every Scout must understand and be able to apply the principles of map reading and first aid. With this in mind, the Ghana Scout Association sought out the expertise of the Ghana Armed Forces to train Adult Scout Leaders on these vital skills from the 9th – 20th December 2013.

This training of trainer’s course dubbed “MR.FAT” was held at the Ghana Military Academy for 24 Adult Scout Leaders from the National Headquarters, Greater Accra Region, Eastern Region, Brong Ahafo Region, Ashanti Region and the Northern Region.

Scouts were taken through various topics, among them; Introduction to Map Reading, Maps, Scale and Distances, Contours and Reliefs, Grid System, Compasses, Bearing, Magnetic Variations, Map Settings and Position Finding. This was accompanied by practical sessions at the academy in syndicate slots. As part of the practical sessions, Scouts were taken to Amahria to identify features on the ground.

This aspect of the practical session helped Scouts to experience how the features look like on the ground as compared to that of the map. However, all Scouts were assessed based on written exams on Map Reading and relevant topics.
The course on First Aid was very practical. Participants were taken through; Introduction to First Aid, Personal and Field Hygiene, Dealing with Unconscious Casualty and Clearing an Obstructed Airway, Exhale Air Resuscitation, Hemorrhage, Wounds, Treatment of Snake and Dog Bites, Burns and Scalds, Fractures, Improvised Splints and Bandages, Uses and Carriage of Stretchers, Composition of a First Aid Box and its uses, etc.

These topics were treated alongside with supervised practical sessions to broaden Scouts knowledge of the course and how to act when in real life situations.